Fireworks as Phoenixville council fails to appoint new member

Sparks flew after two separate votes on candidates Michael Handwerk and Anthony DiGirolomo — two former council members — did not yield an appointee. The Middle Ward seat is open and was last held by Kyle Guie until he resigned in June because he was moving to Lancaster for work.

Handwerk lost 5-2 and DiGirolomo lost 4-3.

“We look like a bunch of damn fools,” council President Richard Kirkner said after council Vice President Mike Speck made a second motion to vote on Handwerk.

“One person gets two votes, another person gets three votes,” Kirkner went on to say. “We did the interviews here. We can see clearly who’s more qualified for this position.”

“Every time we try to fill a vacancy on this council, this is how it goes,” Kirkner said.

Frustration over the appointing stems from the fact that council is being charged for the fourth time since 2010 with filling a vacated seat due to resignations.

Three community members were interviewed by council immediately prior to Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting for the vacancy left by Guie.

Handwerk and DiGirolomo were joined by Marty McCabe, a former Marine, who also has worked on housing authorities in the past.

During the meeting, no one made a motion to vote on McCabe.

A council member until 18 months ago, Handwerk sent Borough Manager E. Jean Krack a single-sentence resignation letter in January 2011, according to the borough’s minutes from the time. Handwerk said he was “passionate about giving back to (his) community” and claimed “circumstances have changed” since his resignation.

Some members of council were wary of bringing back the man who resigned so recently, especially Kirkner, who said Handwerk told him “stress” was a factor in him quitting.

Only council members Jennifer Mayo and Speck voted for Handwerk.

DiGirolomo, a council member from 2000 to 2003, also served as borough manager from 2006 until 2008, when he was replaced by the council.

During his interview, DiGirolomo said he wanted to “apply (his) experience” to the council, which he called a “new” and “aggressive” body.

He also resigned from borough council to take a job with the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Kirkner said.

Speck was among the council members opposed to DiGirolomo’s appointment. After the meeting, Speck said he worked for DiGirolomo’s unsuccessful campaign to be a state representative in 2000 and became “disillusioned.”

“You never gave me a reason,” for replacing DiGirolomo, Kirkner said to Speck at the meeting’s end.

“I called his character into question,” Speck answered.

Kirkner was DiGirolomo’s most vocal supporter, repeatedly suggesting he the most qualified candidate.

Whoever was appointed to council, Kirkner said, would likely take over Guie’s position on the regional planning commission, an entity Kirkner said is township-heavy. As such, Kirkner said he wanted someone that would assert the borough’s interests strongly.

One of the qualities, for better or worse, several council members said about DiGirolomo is that he is a forceful person, which would fit into Kirkner’s vision for the new council and committee person.

Kirkner, Dana Dugan and Christopher Bauers were the only votes in favor of appointing DiGirolomo.

Things quieted down following the votes. The meeting proceeded, though there were a few times when things became pointed.

After an executive session at the meeting’s end, as the council attempted to set a date for another meeting to interview and appoint a new member, arguments again broke out, though they were more subdued than earlier.

If council is unable to come up with a new member on its own, a vacancy board made up of the council and a registered voter from the borough appointed by council would be convened. That registered voter would serve as the board’s chairman.

Bauers and Dugan both raised the question of whether postponing an attempt at appointment would change anything.

“We’re obviously not coming up with someone tonight,” said Mayo, the remaining Middle Ward representative. “(But) we can’t just give it over to the vacancy board.”

“It’s not like there’s nobody out there,” Scoda said. “(Guie) was an excellent council member, and who knew him before he came forward?”

The next meeting held for possible appointment is scheduled for Monday, July 23, at 7 p.m.